Spider for cable reels



Dec. 2s, 1943.

E. D. KASER SPDER FOR CABLE REELS Filed May 28, 1942 Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNITED STATES itATN'l QFFCE SPIDER FR CABLE REELS Everett D. Kaser, Aurora, Ill., assigner to Durabilt Steel Locker Co., Aurora, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 3 Claims.

This invention relates to spider structures and 'particularly such as are adapted for use on cable reels and similar devices, especially where the drum portion of the reel is of wood and the spider serves for strengthening the same and mounting it on an arbor.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of sturdy hub and spider structure that can be constructed mainly of sheet metal stampings; to provide such a structure in which the parts are so arranged that any raw edges that are formed in the stamping of the spider arms or spokes will lie substantially in the plane of the face of the wooden disc of the drum to which the spider is connected and thus not only make it unnecessary to trim these edges by grinding but to utilize the raw edges for contributing an element of strength for fastening the spider and drum together; and to provide a structure of this kind that is inexpensive to manufacture and will have great strength even when made of relatively thin material.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved spider designed particularly for signal cable reels.

Fig. 2 is an edgewise elevation partly in section as viewed from the offset reference line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is fan enlarged sectional detail of the same taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional detail taken on the line 4 6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail showing the shape of the inner end of one of the spoke arms.

Fig. 6 is a detail in elevation of a second hub disc which is located behind the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Cable reels are usually made in the form of a pair of circular wooden discs connected by a cylindrical spool drum upon which the cable is wound, the discs being of such diameter as to protect the coil of cable when it is rolled upon the ground. Such cable reels are usually provided with metallic hub members for supporting the reel on an arbor.

In the form shown in the drawing, these hub members are provided with spider arms or spokes whereby they are securely attached to the wooden drum heads and serve to reinforce the latter.

In the accompanying drawing, the spider structure alone is illustrated and the wooden structure is omitted. It will be understood that there are two such spiders in axial alinement with each other and respectively fastened to the wooden heads or wheels of the reel drum.

In the form shown, each spider has four arms, each consisting of a single sheet metal stamping, the shape of which is indicated in the Figures l, 2 and 5. The arms are stamped from a iiat sheet of metal, the marginal contour being determined by the cutting edges of the dies and the body portion is pressed up along the medial line of the arm to form a reinforcing rib; thus each arm l comprises a radial rib 2 which is bowed in transverse section and provided with marginal iianges 3 in planar alinement with each other along its side edges. Both the rib 2 and the flanges 3 are tapered gracefully from a broad inner or hub end 'portion to a narrow eX- tremity.

rEhe large inner ends of the arms are connected together by an outer hub disc li and an inner hub disc li in such manner that the marginal edges of all of the flanges 3 lie in the same plane of revolution about the axis of the hub. The other hub disc ll has integrally formed therewith a prismatic hub member 6 for engagement with a bar that may serve as an arbor for the reel to rotate upon. In the form shown this prismatic hub member is square in cross section.

Each of the arms l is cut to form a central V-shaped notch 'l to t the adjacent corner of the hub member and at each side of this notch the end edges 8 are inclined to meet the corresponding end edges of the adjacent spider arms in edge-to-edge abutment on radial lines. The fluting or corrugating of the arms which form the ribs 2 is extended to their inner ends.

The middle portions of the discs It and 5 are flat throughout a circular area around the hub member. The marginal rim portion 9 of the hub disc 4 is uted to conform with the outer surfaces of the ribs 2 and flanges 3 of the spider arms. The hub disc 5 is flat throughout the greater part of its area but has flutings lil in its marginal rim portion that i'lt the opposed inner surfaces of the ribs 2 of the spider arms Thus, the hub discs and spider arms are nested together and can be held in firm driving relation by comparatively light rivets Il. The aperture I2 in the disc 5 is shaped to snugly fit the square hub member 6.

One of the spider arms is provided with an aperture i3 which may receive a crank arm, which is not shown, for rotating the reel whenthe cable is being wound upon it. Each of the remaining spider arms 2 is punched and embossed at I 4 to receive a countersunk headed screw for attaching the arms to the wooden head ends of the drum, and each arm 2 has adjacent its outer end and at an intermediate point a rivet aperture i5. These latter apertures are punched by the forming dies and their marginal portions l5.| (Fig. 3) are embossed to receive buttonheaded rivets.

It will be seen that all of the marginal edges of the spider arms lie in the plane of contact between the spider and the wooden structure of the drum, represented by the line il in Fig. 2 so that any ns that may be formed at the edges thereof in the stamping operation will be so disposed as to penetrate the wood and, therefore, serve a useful purpose in addition to avoiding the necessity of having such ns trimmed off by a grinding operation.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following clai Iclaim:

l. A spider comprising a hub and a plurality of spoke arms radiating from the axis of the hub, each said arm comprising lateral marginal edge iianges lying in the same plane of revolution about said axis and tapered laterally to abut against the adjacent spoke arm iianges on radial lines adjacent said hub, ribs on arms lying entirely at one side of said plane of revolution and extending to the inner ends of said arms, said hub comprising a hub disc having marginal rim portions secured to said arm flanges and iluted to nt about said ribs, and a prismatic tubular hub member fast on said hub disc, the inner ends of said arms having angular recesses drivingiy embracing corners of said prismatic hub member.

2. A spider comprising a hub and a plurality of spoke arms radiating from the axis of the hub, each said arm comprising lateral marginal edge flanges lying in the same plane of revolution about said axis, ribs on said arms lying entirely at one side oi' said plane of revolution and eX- tending to the inner ends of said arms, said hub comprising a hub disc having marginal ange portions secured to said arm flanges and fiuted to t about said ribs and a prismatic tubular hub member fast on said hub disc, and the inner ends of said arms having angular recesses drivingly embracing corners of said prismatic hub member, and said arms having their side flanges tted to abut edge-to-edge on radial lines, a second hub disc centrally apertured to fit about said prismatic hub member and having its marginal rim iiuted to nest complementarily with said arms and first-mentioned hub disc.

B. A spider comprising a hub and a pluralityT of individual spoke arms radiating from the axis of said hub, each said arm comprising a strip of sheet metal shaped to form a radial rib and marginal iianges at opposite sides of said rib, said flanges being tapered at their hub ends to meet in edge to edge abutment with adjacent spoke flanges and being opipositely tapered throughout the remainder of the length of said spoke arms, said hub comprising a prismatic tubular hub member having an integral disc flange at one end, and a hub disc having a prismatic aperture fitting said prismatic hub member, said hub disc being spaced away from said disc flange, and said hub disc and disc iiange having marginal rims offest toward each other and complementarily iiuted to embrace the hub ends of said arm flanges and ribs and being secured together at said rim margins.

EVERETT D. KASER. 

